Turn air into gasoline! Tire pressure and better fuel
efficiency
Jason Miller
One of the easiest ways to improve the gas mileage
for your car is checking the tire pressure in all four
tires. Simply doing this routine tire maintenance can
save fuel and increase the life of your tires.
A government study concluded that correctly maintaining
your tires is like getting 2 "free" tanks of gas a year.
With today's fuel prices that could easily be $140!
You will also increase the life of your tires and could
save at least one new set of tires during the life of
your car.
Now that I have you convinced of the value of good
tire pressure, let's discuss the basics. First you will
need to purchase an inexpensive tire pressure gauge.
These are easy to find and easy to use. Buy a good one
(They don't cost that much) and put it in your glove
box.
The next big question is "How much air do my tires
need?" You will need to find out what the manufacturer's
recommended pressure is for your vehicle. You can find
this information in a couple of places. First you can
look in your owner's manual or check the information
placard glued on the inside edge of the doors. Remember,
the tire pressure on the side of the tire is the maximum
pressure for that particular tire. This is different
from the manufacturer's recommended pressure.
Now you are ready to check the pressure in your tires.
The best time to check your pressure is when your tires
are cold. The car should have been sitting for at least
three hours or have been driven for less than 2 miles.
If your tires are hot, then the air is hot and the pressure
will read higher than normal. This is why using the
manufacturer's recommended tire pressure is so important.
If you use the maximum tire pressure printed on the
tire and then drive out on the road, the pressure will
increase because of the heat. This can be potentially
unsafe. If they are low, take a quick trip to the neighborhood
gas station. There you can add a few pounds of air and
recheck the pressure.
One tip, don't trust the gauge on the air compressor
at the gas station. These are generally in bad shape
and have been treated poorly. Use your new one you just
purchased instead. Repeat this process every month.
You will save gas and extend the life of your expensive
tires.
Jason is the webmaster for Red Hill Supply - Online
Air Tools
http://www.redhillsupply.com
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